


Start Fresh

by kunstvogel



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coming Out, Depression, Diabetes, Diabetic Ketoacidosis, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F slur, High School, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2018-10-15
Packaged: 2019-08-02 09:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 5,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16302677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kunstvogel/pseuds/kunstvogel
Summary: Dick notices a new student at school, and decides to reach out. He learns that there's a lot more to Lewis Nixon than what's on the surface. Or: a series of moments in the high school life of Lewis Nixon and Richard Winters.





	1. December

Dick notices him on Monday, the last week before winter break. He's sitting in the back corner of the Government 11 room by the window, slouched miserably in his chair. Dick elbows Harry and turns his attention to the boy.   
  
"Who's that?" he whispers.   
  
"New kid," Harry shrugs, "Dunno anything about him."   
  
"He looks lonely," Dick says, frowning. Harry only shrugs and turns back to his work. Dick looks at the boy a while longer, until finally he looks up and meets Dick's eyes. Dick smiles and offers a tiny wave.   
  
The boy just looks sad when he tries to smile in return. It makes Dick's heart ache and he resolves to reach out to him after class.   
  
But he leaves early with a nurse's pass and doesn't come back to class, and that's the last time Dick sees him that day.

*

On Friday, Dick finally gets to class early enough to go back and say hi to the boy before the bell rings. He looks up, startled, when Dick greets him.

"H-hi," he stammers quietly. He's so pale, dark circles under his eyes like he hasn't slept well. Dick worries for him already.   
  
"I'm Dick. I just wanted to say hello, you looked kinda lonely back here. I heard you're a new student here?"   
  
"Yeah," he says. "I'm from Jersey. My name's Lew."   
  
Dick smiles. "Well, if you ever want to talk, I'm here. I sit at the table by the East wing entrance at lunch, if you need someone to sit with."   
  
"Oh," Lew says, "thanks. I'll- I'll think about it."   
  
The bell rings before Dick can say anything else, and he casts Lew a wave as he heads back to his desk before Sobel can chew him out.   
  
It just happens that day that Sobel decides to pick on Lew while they review for a quiz. Lew clearly hasn't caught up; he'd left halfway through class every day of the week with his mysterious nurse's pass. It'd been the subject of discussion among the other students just the other day.   
  
Lew doesn't hear Sobel ask the question and only looks up when his name is called. He blanches when Sobel repeats the question.   
  
"What were the first ten amendments to the Constitution called?"   
  
"I-I don't know," he stammers.   
  
"And why would that be, Lewis?"   
  
Lew falls silent, nervous, as their classmates glance back at him.   
  
"You would know the answer if you read the assignment." Sobel sighs. "Dick?"   
  
"The Bill of Rights," Dick answers automatically.   
  
"Right. Now, moving on. Why was the Bill of Rights added? Lewis?"   
  
Lew shakes his head, flushing. Sobel sighs again and turns to Dick.   
  
"Because the states rejected the original Constitution, since it didn't guarantee their citizens any individual rights," Dick recites. He casts Harry a long-suffering glare, and Harry grins in sympathy.   
  
The pattern continues until they move on to the lesson of the day, and Dick looks back to see Lew staring down at his desk, looking about ready to cry. He feels suddenly guilty for it. But what else was he supposed to do? Sobel would never let him off the hook if he didn’t answer him.

Five minutes before the bell, Lew packs up and leaves, dropping his pass in the bin by the door.

Dick doesn’t see him again until lunch. He approaches their table cautiously, hovering a few feet away with his tray in hand until Dick smiles and waves him over. Lew slips timidly into the seat next to him and everyone falls quiet.

“Guys, this is Lew,” Dick introduces, smiling. “He’s new here.”

“Hey, Lew,” everyone says.

“Um. Hi.”

“I’m Carwood,” one of the boys pipes up. “And this is Ron, Harry, and Kitty.” He gestures to each of them. Lew smiles, that timid, sad twist of lips Dick had wrung out of him the first time they saw each other. Harry starts a conversation and Lew and Dick both stay out of it. Dick notices that Lew is barely eating, picking at his lunch glumly.

“Hey. Everything okay?”

Lew glances up, startled. “Yeah, I-I’m just not hungry.”

“Hm. Sorry about Sobel, he’s cruel.”

Lew’s lips twitch in a brief smile. “I’ve gotta go,” he says, grabbing his things. “It was nice meeting you guys. See you after break?”

“Sure,” Dick says, smiling. The others say their goodbyes, and Lew turns to leave.

Dick can’t help but wonder what’s up with Lew.


	2. New Year's Eve

Lew drifts through the crowd, picking up food as he goes, but nobody else engages him in conversation. He stays in the basement while he eats, watching the other boys play video games and roughhouse. He feels like an island, alone and invisible. It makes something in his chest twinge, painful.   
  
When his plate is clean he slips upstairs, looking for quiet. He wants desperately to not be alone, but he'd tried talking to the other teens briefly before the late hour set in and it just...didn't feel right. He can't connect to any of them, can't relate to their ignorance and shallowness. All they wanted to talk about was girls and cars.   
  
So he'd tried talking to the adults, forgetting or perhaps experiencing wishful thinking, that they were all friends of his parents', all wealthy and narrow-minded and disdainful of the younger generations.   
  
Presently he finds himself in the master bedroom. It's dark and sparsely decorated, but most of all it's quiet, the chatter from downstairs muffled to near silence. There are candles on the walls, lit, they emit a warm scent like apples and cinnamon.   
  
Lew slides down a wall and sits, letting his eyes fall shut. It was 11:20 last he checked. The crowd is mostly drunk by now, waiting for the New Year. He'd stolen a few glasses left sitting on the tables outside of the kitchen earlier, and he'd been pleasantly buzzed until the late-night hunger set in.   
  
He sighs and lies down on the floor, pulls his hood up to shield his cheek when he presses his face against the carpet. He wishes, briefly, that he had his phone with him, so he could at least listen to some music, but of course he knows it's locked up in his Dad's study, punishment for mouthing off to him and refusing to do chores in favor of sleeping after a long day of wrestling with his blood sugar.   
  
The memory makes his throat ache, his chest grow hot with frustration and self-hatred. Lew feels like garbage all the time already, so why does Stanhope have to push all of his buttons? Why does he have to ask for so much that Lew can't give?   
  
Lew sniffles and turns over to face the wall, ashamed, as miserable tears streak down his face. He doesn't know why he always feels like this. He wishes it'd stop.   
  
"Hello?"   
  
Lew startles at the voice, looks up to see a little blonde girl standing by his hip. He recognizes her as the host's daughter, Abby. She's dressed in a purple nightie and has a blanket clutched in one fist, the other rubbing her eyes.   
  
"Hi," he croaks, not moving. "What're you doin' up, kid?"   
  
"Was loud," she pouts, pointing downstairs. She looks at Lew intensely. "Why are you crying?"   
  
"I-I'm not," Lew argues, moving to sit up. He scrubs his cheeks dry and tries to smile at Abby. "See, I'm fine."   
  
"No, you're not," Abby says, and she steps up to him and grabs his cheek gently in her tiny hand. "Your eyes is wet. See? You're crying."   
  
Lew doesn't reply. He looks up at the girl's face and sees such untarnished compassion and love that it breaks his heart. Before he knows it there are tears dripping down his cheeks again and Abby is cooing at him, her chubby little fingers petting his cheek.   
  
"Is okay," she says. "Is okay, see, I'm here. You're not alone." Abby sits on his knee and hugs him as best as she can, and Lew allows it, tucking his face against her shoulder as he cries.   
  
When his tears have run dry Abby stands up again, taking his hand.   
  
"C'mon," she says, "I wanna show you what makes me happy when I feel sad."

Lew nods, standing up and letting Abby lead him to her bedroom. She takes out several picture books, insisting that Lew read them to her. He gives in, reading until she falls asleep. Lew puts the books away and turns off the lights, closing her bedroom door. He feels better, and sneaks past the crowd to go sit outside, looking up at the stars.


	3. Sugar Drop

Dick notices the pallor of Lew's cheeks when he walks into the classroom, catching the edge of an empty desk with his hip. He doesn't look back and sits down next to Dick with a sigh.   
  
"You alright?" Dick asks, and Lew grunts noncommittally. He pulls out a sandwich, soda, and his kit with shaking hands and Dick's gut twists with concern. "Hey. Earth to Lew."   
  
"I'm fine," Lew snaps. He doesn't look at Dick, pricking his finger. Dick watches silently as he tests, then grabs his sandwich, frowning.   
  
"You sure you're okay, Lew?"   
  
"If I pass out, make sure you ask for nurse Parades," Lew mutters. He bites into the sandwich, catching Sobel's eye and staring him down.   
  
As soon as the bell rings, Sobel strides over. "Lewis, there will be no eating during class."   
  
"Fuck off," Lew growls, and Dick feels his stomach turn to ice.   
  
"Excuse me?" Sobel raises an eyebrow.   
  
"Lew's diabetic," Dick cuts in. "He has to eat something or he'll pass out."   
  
Sobel scoffs. "Be that as it may, there is absolutely no  _ eating _ or  _ drinking _ allowed in my classroom, Dick. You should know this." He turns back to Lew. "And  _ you _ will not mouth off to me again. Put the food away."   
  
"No, I don't think I will." Lew glares up at him. "You've got no right to endanger my health,  _ sir _ . If I follow your instruction and pass out, I can promise you that my family will sue."   
  
Sobel falls silent, his face red with fury. The room is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Lew smirks faintly and takes another bite of his sandwich. Sobel turns on his heel and stalks back to his desk, picking up the phone.   
  
"Sobel. I'm sending a Lewis Nixon your way for non-compliance and foul language directed at a teacher." He hangs up the phone with a sharp click.   
  
"Oh, for Christ's sake," Lew groans. "This is bullshit."   
  
"Lew," Dick hisses. "Don't make it any worse."   
  
"Go to the office, Lewis," Sobel says. "Your  _ family _ should be ashamed of you."   
  
Lew bristles at that, but Dick grabs him by the wrist, demanding his attention. "Lew. Just go. It isn't worth it."   
  
Lew scoffs, scooping his bag off of the floor and grabbing everything off of his desk. "I'm gonna make sure your sorry ass gets fired," he mutters before leaving the classroom.


	4. Family

"C'mon, Lew," Dick coaxes, "you'll be fine."   
  
Lew bites his lip, looking up at the tall white house. He knows Dick's family is different from his, that they're not likely to kick him out for being a bad influence. After all, he's sure that Dick's parents know that Dick is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. (Which is something Lew envies. He's always been needy and dependant.)   
  
He follows Dick up the stairs and takes a deep breath of the cool autumn air before stepping into the house. They're greeted immediately by a little girl who introduces herself as Ann.   
  
"My sister," Dick says. "She's five."   
  
"I'm almost six!" she corrects. She pouts up at Dick before looking over to Lew. "Who are you?"   
  
"Oh," Lew says,"I-I'm Lew. Dick is my friend."   
  
Ann squints up at him for a beat before her face breaks out in a grin. "Okay. I like you," she decides aloud, patting his thigh. Then she turns and skips down the hall, and Dick's mom comes out around the corner to find the boys taking their shoes off.   
  
"You must be Lewis," she smiles at him. "I've heard so much about you."   
  
"Oh. Um, hi," Lew says, offering his hand. "It's great to meet you, Mrs. Winters."   
  
"Call me Edith, dear," she says, accepting the gesture. "Dick, could you tell your sister to come back downstairs? Dinner's almost ready."   
  
"Sure," Dick nods and chases after his sister, leaving Lew with his mother.   
  
"Lewis, I just want to let you know that you're welcome here anytime." Edith smiles. "Dick really does care about you something fierce. I've never seen him get so close to somebody before."   
  
Lew fidgets nervously. "I'm not sure what to say," he admits. "But thank you for- for having me over."   
  
"Anytime," Edith says. "Now, I hope you like chicken pot pie, because I've got five of them in the oven now just about ready to come out."   
  
Lew grins. "I love pot pie."


	5. Study Session

Lew isn't really listening anymore. He watches as Dick reads, his brow creased in concentration, his diction slow and precise. Lew doesn't think about it. He leans in close and touches Dick's jaw, and when he looks up at Lew, surprised, Lew kisses him.   
  
When he pulls away he realizes what he's done. Dick stares back at him, completely still.   
  
"Shit," Lew hisses, and he stands. "I-I should- I should go." He turns and leaves before Dick can say anything, his heart in his throat. Lew steps outside and runs.   
  
"Lew, wait!" Dick calls from behind him, and Lew feels his heart breaking. He can't do it. He can't bear to hear Dick say  _ sorry, Lew, I don't like you that way _ . He can't take that kind of rejection.   
  
He's so overwhelmed he doesn't see the spot where the sidewalk sticks up, and he trips and goes sprawling. Pain blooms in his hands, his face, and he lets out a shout of frustration and agony, curling into himself.   
  
"Lew!" Dick is there in a heartbeat, his hands coaxing, pulling Lew up and cradling his head against his chest. He brushes Lew's hair aside and cradles him in his arms.   
  
"Go away," Lew cries. He tries and fails to push Dick away. He's getting blood all over Dick's nice shirt.   
  
"Lew, you're hurt," Dick says, grabbing his wrists and stopping him, "let's get you back inside."   
  
"No," Lew fists the front of Dick's shirt. "I'm sorry. I-I love you, Dick." He feels his heart clench and he sobs, the tears finally running freely as he waits to be rejected. He's got nothing else left to lose, he thinks miserably, yet it still feels awful. Dick stares back at him and opens his mouth, and Lew tears his gaze away, expecting the worst.   
  
"Lew, I- I love you too."   
  
"That's not what I meant," Lew sniffs. "I  _ love _ you. I-I want-"   
  
"Lew." Dick's hands are on his face again. "Lew, look at me. I love you too. I mean it."   
  
Lew pries his eyes open and looks at Dick. He's smiling, despite the worry in his eyes. Lew almost doesn't want to believe it. Then Dick is pulling his face in close and he's kissing him, and Lew whines in the back of his throat and kisses back desperately. There's blood on his lips now and he feels awful to make Dick taste it too, but Dick doesn't seem to care.   
  
"Let's get you inside," Dick says when they break apart, and he helps Lew limp back to the house. Lew's numb with shock and disbelief; he feels like he'll wake up any moment now in his own bed with nobody but his dog to keep him company.   
  
Dick's mom gasps at the sight of him and herds the boys into the bathroom, fussing over Lew until he's stripped down to his boxers. She takes his clothes to wash while Dick cleans him up. He's got scrapes on his palms and knees and a gash on his head that's just shy of needing stitches.   
  
"You might be concussed," Dick murmurs worriedly as he dabs at the cuts with disinfectant. "You oughta see a doctor."   
  
"I don't want to go home," Lew admits quietly. "I wanna stay here."   
  
Dick purses his lips. "I'll have to ask Mom." They both know already that Lew's parents don't care what he does. Dick finishes bandaging Lew's scrapes and goes to get a clean T-shirt and sweatpants for him. After Lew's dressed, Dick asks if Lew can stay over.   
  
"Of course he can," Edith says. "Lewis, you're always welcome here. I was just going to ask what you want on your pizza, as a matter of fact."   
  
They don't get a moment alone until Ann has been put to bed. Together in Dick's room, they sit hip-to-hip on his bed in their pajamas, and Dick reaches tentatively for Lew's hand.   
  
"Lew," he says, "do you want to...to date me?"   
  
"Yes." Lew huffs, smiling nervously. "I do, I want everything with you."   
  
"Good," says Dick, "that's what I want, too." He grins and leans in for another kiss, and Lew pulls him back onto the bed with him and kisses back fervently. It feels right and good in every way, better than Lew had ever imagined. Dick's lips are thin and soft against his, and he kisses Lew like he's never kissed someone before, like he's just drinking it up now for the first time.   
  
Lew hums and reaches for Dick's hip. Dick freezes and breaks away.   
  
"Lew, I-I've never-"   
  
"Oh, sorry," says Lew. "That's okay. We don't have to do anything." He pulls away, pats the empty spot beside his hip. Dick sinks down beside Lew, smiling, and pulls him closer. Lew tucks his head up against Dick's chest and tangles their legs together, and Dick's arms find their way around Lew's waist. Lew presses a kiss to Dick's hair, feeling deeply, wholly content for the first time in a long time.


	6. Insulin

"Lew, you need to take better care of yourself," Dick scolds quietly. "You shouldn't have eaten all that junk food and not taken your shot."   
  
Lew's too exhausted to reply. He nudges up against Dick's thigh and moans, his head throbbing. He's too hot, his limbs too heavy. He hears the click of the pen and whines.   
  
"I know, I know," Dick sighs. "It'll be over in a second." It's an empty promise- Lew knows it'll take most of the night for him to come down again- but he appreciates the sentiment.   
  
Dick rolls him over gently and pulls down his pajama bottoms, and then Lew feels the needle slide in. It's always better when he can't see it but he still whines when it comes out, and Dick shushes him gently and rubs the area to coax the pain away.   
  
Lew hears him clean up before Dick joins him on the bed again, pulling him close.   
  
"Thanks," Lew mumbles, pressing his face into Dick's neck tiredly. "Dunno what I'd do without you."   
  
"Of course." Dick falls silent, his hand warm on Lew's hip, and Lew falls asleep.   
  
Dick wakes him up a couple times through the night, checking his levels and giving him more insulin dose by dose, but Lew barely registers it and wakes up late into the next morning to find Dick passed out next to him, an arm slung over his exposed belly and his pale feet poking out off the bed.


	7. Coming Out

“Dad, I’m gay.”

Stanhope drops his fork, staring.

“I broke up with Kathy because I don’t like girls. I love Dick, Dad.”

Blanche chokes on her stuffing, snorting. She covers her face when Stanhope turns to glare at her, looks apologetically at Lew when he’s turned away again.

“Get out,” Stanhope growls.

“What?”

“Get out of my house!” Stanhope stands up, snarling. “You’ve got thirty minutes to pack your shit. I will not have a  _ faggot  _ living under my roof.”

Lew stares in shock. He jumps when Stanhope slams his fist down on the table.

“Twenty-nine minutes, boy. I’m keeping your cell phone, too. You can pay for your own damn service.”

Hurt flares in Lew’s chest. He slams his phone on the table and goes to his room, grabbing his backpack. He packs as much clothes as will fit in with his school supplies, his blood sugar kit, and a framed picture of him and his mother. He goes back out towards the dining room, brushing past his father to take his insulin out of the fridge.

And then he’s outside.

The door slams behind him, and he’s left standing in the middle of a blizzard.


	8. Houseguest

There's a knock at the door. Lip glances at the clock, wondering who's calling at this hour. He pauses the movie he was watching and gets up to go to the door, opening it just a crack before he sees who it is.   
  
Lew stands there on his porch, pale as a sheet and shivering as snow whips around him. He's only wearing a thin black hoodie, jeans, and Converse despite the blizzard outside.   
  
"Christ, Lew, come in before you freeze to death," Lip says, stepping aside to let Lew in. He closes the door and turns to take a good look at the other boy. He looks awful, his gaze distant and eyes red.   
  
"I d-d-didn't k-know where else t-to go," he stutters, shivering.   
  
"Here, let's get you warmed up," Lip coaxes, guiding Lew to the couch. He runs to his room to grab a pair of sweats and a lined hoodie, then returns and helps strip the boy down to his boxers. Lew's shivering so bad his hands slip as he tries to pull the sweats on, and Lip leans in, helping him dress again. He notices the cluster of bruises mottling Lew's lower stomach and frowns, noting the small backpack he has with him.   
  
After Lew is dressed and wrapped up in blankets with a bowl of hot tomato soup in his hands, Lip asks him what happened.   
  
Lew swallows before he speaks. "I...I came out to my dad," he says quietly. "He kicked me out."   
  
"In the middle of a blizzard?" Lip asks, incredulous. Lew nods slowly.   
  
"What about your diabetes? Why didn't you go to Dick?"   
  
"He doesn't care what happens to me," Lew says quietly. "And Dick just broke up with me." Lew sniffles, wiping his eyes. "He couldn't...he said he couldn't deal with me getting so depressed."   
  
"Oh, Lew," Lip says, heart breaking for his friend. "I'm sure he'd understand, if you talked to him."

Lew shakes his head. "It's over," he insists. "I have nowhere to go. Please don't tell him I'm here."

Lip's stomach churns uncomfortably. "Okay," he relents. "But you're going to have to talk to him about this eventually. I can't let you stay here forever- I have my family to take care of."

Lew nods shakily. "Thank you," he whispers, sipping from his soup.


	9. Sick

Dick’s phone chimes at five in the morning.

Sighing, he reaches for it. Upon opening his messages, he sees it’s from Lip.

_ Lew’s sick. He was throwing up at 2am and now I can’t wake him up. _

“Shit,” Dick hisses.

_ Has he taken his insulin recently? I’m coming over. _

Dick gets dressed and goes to wake up Edith.

“Mom, I’m going to Lip’s house. Lew is sick.”

“I’ll go with you,” she says, already getting up. Dick goes out to put his shoes and coat on and start the car while she gets dressed. Soon enough they’re on their way to Lip’s house, both of them tired and drawn.

Lip answers the door almost before Dick has finished knocking.

“I didn’t know what to do,” he says. “My mother has the car.”

“Show me where he is,” Dick nods, already steeling himself. He follows Lip to the back of the house.

"Here," Lip says, pushing the door open. It's dark in the room, the curtains drawn tight, and the air is stale and pungent with sweat. Dick feels his stomach twisting up with dread. His gaze falls upon Lew, curled up on the bed, his back to the door.   
  
"Lew?" Dick moves to perch on the bed beside him, reaching for his cheek. Lew's skin is clammy, slick with sweat. "Sweetheart, wake up."   
  
Lew mumbles and turns over, reaching up blindly to feel Dick's hand. "Mom?" he whimpers, and Dick grimaces at the anguish in Lew's voice. "Mom, it hurts," he sobs.   
  
"No, Lew. It's me. Dick. We gotta get you to the hospital."   
  
Lew shakes his head, clinging to Dick's wrist. "It hurts," he says again. "I-I want my mom."   
  
"The doctors can help you more than I can," Dick says. "C'mon, just try to get up for me, please."   
  
Lew struggles to pull himself up. His arms tremble under the strain, and Dick moves to catch him before he falls back down. He feels a pang in his stomach as his palm rests on Lew's chest, feeling that his breathing is shallow and too fast. He knows then that Lew can't go for much longer without professional help.   
  
"Easy, easy," Dick coaxes. "You're halfway there, Lew." He glances back at Lip, who steps in now to help Lew get to his feet. He's trembling all over, leaning into Dick's shoulder with an arm curled around his belly as he stumbles along with them.   
  
"Can't see," Lew mumbles.   
  
They manage to walk him out to the car and lay him down in the back seat, where he curls up immediately.   
  
"Thanks, Lip," says Dick, climbing in up front.   
  
"Of course." Lip smiles, worry on his face. "Keep me posted."   
  
Dick nods and closes the door, and Edith steers them out of the driveway, expression grim. She looks back at Lew in the rear view mirror, frowning. He's mumbling to himself quietly. Dick reaches back to brush his knuckles and Lew grabs his hand, letting out a soft, wounded noise.   
  
"I'm so sorry, Lew," Dick murmurs.   
  
Edith casts a glance over at Dick. "How long?"   
  
"Lip said he showed up on Christmas Day," Dick says quietly, "but...I think Lew's been bad off for longer." He doesn't mention their falling out. Edith knows already, knows Dick was just trying to protect himself. She'd voiced her disagreement already.   
  
"Dick," Lew mumbles, his grip suddenly tightening, "Mom left..."   
  
"I know. I'm sorry, Lew." Dick rubs circles into the skin of his hand with his thumb. "We're almost there."   
  
"I want my mom," Lew repeats miserably, pressing his face into the seat cushion.   
  
Dick doesn't know what to say to that. He holds Lew's hand and watches as they turn into the hospital parking lot. Edith parks close the the wheelchair cart and goes to grab one, letting Dick help Lew out of the car and into the chair. He's barely conscious now, eyelids drooping as he slumps in his seat.   
  
"Try to stay awake, okay?" Dick says. "You'll be alright."

Lew whimpers, crying for his mother.


	10. Type One

Lew was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was eight years old.

He’d come home from school one night feeling unusually irritable and tired, and when he woke up the next morning he was sick. His mother called him out of school despite his father’s disagreement, and he took his cold medicine diligently and slept until noon. When he woke he was unbearably thirsty and felt sick to his stomach, but his mother convinced him to finish his soup and brought him a cold water bottle to sip from.

He downed it in five minutes and fell asleep immediately.

Lew woke up again sometime after dark with crippling pains in his stomach. He stumbled to the bathroom to throw up, and after he finished he fell to the floor and curled up, whimpering in pain. His mother found him there and gasped, kneeling to gather him in her arms.

“Lew, baby,” his mother crooned, “let’s get you back to bed.”

“Mom, it hurts,” he whined, burying his face against her shoulder.

“What hurts?”

“My belly,” Lew sniffled. “It hurts a lot.”

She’d pursed her lips then, laid him down in his bed and looked over him thoughtfully. “Do you want a tummy rub?”

Lew nodded. “Please.”

She smiled and sat at the edge of his bed, slipping a hand beneath his shirt and rubbing gently. She’d gone until he fell asleep, and when Lew awoke again briefly, late into the night, he was tucked under his sheets, his favorite stuffed dog in his arms.

The next time he woke up he was in a hospital bed.

“Mom?” he’d called out groggily, panic sliding through him. Lew saw tubes and wires shoved in his arm and felt something in his nose. His chest and arms felt hot. “Mom, please,” he begged, tears welling up as he saw that there was no one in the room with him. It was dark. He didn’t know what time it was or what day it was anymore. He found his dog and pulled it close as he started to cry.

“Lewis, you’re awake,” came a voice. She sounded surprised.

“Mom?” Lew turned to look, but the woman beside his bed wasn’t his mother. She smiled and glanced down at her clipboard briefly.

“No, sweetie, your parents went home. It’s three in the morning.”

“Oh.” Lew frowned and looked down at his wrist, the tubes taped to his skin. He sniffled. “What’s all this stuff? It hurts.”

“They’re called IVs. They put medicine into your body.” She smiled patiently and went to adjust some of the machines sitting next to Lew. “You’re very sick, Lewis. But you should be better in a few days.”

“What’s wrong with me? I just have a cold, right?”

The nurse shook her head. “No, Lewis. It’s something else. Your doctor will explain it to you in the morning.” At Lew’s wide-eyed look, she added, “It’s nothing you need to worry about right now. Try to get some rest.”

“Okay,” he agreed, and pulled the sheets up to his chin.


	11. Recovery

Lew wakes up later that afternoon. Dick leans in, smiling. “Hi,” he says. “We were afraid you’d be out all day.” Lew blinks up at him, glances down at his hand to see the wires stuck in his arms, and groans.

“What happened?”

“You’re having a- a ketoacidosis episode, I think it’s called.” Dick frowns. “Doctor said you weren’t taking enough insulin, and you weren’t eating right.”

“Oh,” says Lew distantly. “Am I- can I leave?”

“They said they’re keeping you here until your sugar stays down.” Dick falls silent for a beat, pensive. “You could’ve gone into a coma,” he says quietly. “You should’ve called me.”

“Yeah, well. I thought we were done.” Lew stares down at his fist, his jaw clenched. Dick can see the pain in his face and it makes his heart ache. He takes Lew’s hand.

“I’m sorry,” he says sincerely. “I was- I was trying to protect myself. But I think- I think you needed me most now, and I couldn’t see it.”

“Lip told you everything?”

“Yeah,” Dick frowns, rubbing Lew’s knuckles with the pad of his thumb. “Don’t get mad at him. He was worried about you, because he cares.”

“I know.” Lew smiles, sadly.

“I want to us start over,” Dick says suddenly, looking up at Lew. “When you get better. My parents are more than happy to take you in.”

Lew glances up at Dick. “I know I’m not in a very good place right now, mentally,” he cautions. “I...I want to see a therapist, before I commit to anything again.”

Dick nods. “Mom thinks you should, too,” he admits. “I’m glad, though. I think it’ll really help you, Lew.” He leans up, kissing Lew’s temple. “I love you,” he murmurs.

Lew closes his eyes, pressing his cheek against Dick’s.

“I love you, too.”


End file.
